Anybody have any experience keeping Native North American Muskellunge (Musky's) in a big tank ? I am ordering 3, 5" fingerlings in July.
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Muskellunge in 250g
- Thread starter Nathane959
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I'm not sure 250 is big enough for a muskie? - they get HUGE - we caught a 47" tiger muskie at our cottage north of Toronto when I was a kid. (not a fish-story it was as big as I was!)
There've been a couple heated discussions as to requirements, laws, and the pros and cons of native fish keeping. Most recently:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44002&page=1&pp=15&highlight=Native+tank
Take a look through the search engine first query natives there's a lot of discussion....including some nice examples of huge native species tanks. Good luck
There've been a couple heated discussions as to requirements, laws, and the pros and cons of native fish keeping. Most recently:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44002&page=1&pp=15&highlight=Native+tank
Take a look through the search engine first query natives there's a lot of discussion....including some nice examples of huge native species tanks. Good luck
Deffinatley not enough room for that fish unless you are planing on getting a huge tank. Like 800 gal. would be a gess for me. I want to keep trout and i dont think a 250 would be enough to keep them happy. But GOod luck sounds like a big challenge.
I wouldn't even try to put a fish that big in an aquarium. You need more than 1000 gallons. A very large aquarium fish is three pounds or so. Muskie regularly grow to be 20 or 30 pounds and the record is 73 pounds.
Have you been to bass pro or cabelas? Look at how big their aquarium is - a lot more than 250 gallons. You fish will be so big that they won't even be able to turn around in the tank.
If you must keep these fish, I would try and make something outside. If you have a hill or embankment, you can pour concrete and 3 sides and have the last side be a large pecies of glass. Thats about the only way your going to get a big enough tank.
Also, the problem you will run into is that you can't release these fish after you keep them. They will be used to being fed and its highly against the law anyway.
I would look into pike cichlids if you want a long and skinny fish. They look similar to a pike or musky with more color. They grow to a foot or so and would fit great in your tank.
Have you been to bass pro or cabelas? Look at how big their aquarium is - a lot more than 250 gallons. You fish will be so big that they won't even be able to turn around in the tank.
If you must keep these fish, I would try and make something outside. If you have a hill or embankment, you can pour concrete and 3 sides and have the last side be a large pecies of glass. Thats about the only way your going to get a big enough tank.
Also, the problem you will run into is that you can't release these fish after you keep them. They will be used to being fed and its highly against the law anyway.
I would look into pike cichlids if you want a long and skinny fish. They look similar to a pike or musky with more color. They grow to a foot or so and would fit great in your tank.
Juvenile muskies could easily be kept in a 250 until they got too big.
Then you just release them in a private pond or fishing lake.
Many game departments keep musky until they reach a certain size- usually 14 inches- and then stock them.
Then you just release them in a private pond or fishing lake.
Many game departments keep musky until they reach a certain size- usually 14 inches- and then stock them.
I agree with illiswiller, muskies get way too big for any common size tank, so unless you have an empty 1200 gallon lying around, I'd nix the idea. Personally, I don't even think they'd be happy in a tank that size. Also, they prefer vegatation and submerged logs to hide amongst in the wild.
And oy vey, what about the food bill? It must be staggering. I don't think these guys even bother with feeders after they reach a certain size. When I was younger and into sportfishing, I read accounts of Muskies eating duck hatchlings and baby muskrats. That translates into lots of boneless chicken breast or frozen haddock, neither of which is cheap.
And oy vey, what about the food bill? It must be staggering. I don't think these guys even bother with feeders after they reach a certain size. When I was younger and into sportfishing, I read accounts of Muskies eating duck hatchlings and baby muskrats. That translates into lots of boneless chicken breast or frozen haddock, neither of which is cheap.
Large golden shiners can easily be gotten from bait shops and so can suckers.
Feeding them would not be a problem.
The problem is space.
Feeding them would not be a problem.
The problem is space.
There is more than space that is a problem - Just following the previous post taught me that.
Another thing to consider is when a juvenile is removed it is usually impossible for that fish to be reproductive during it's "captivity" - plus you risk it dying from an accident or stress from moving and reacclimating to its new environment when you release - therefore not allowing that fish to add back into the population reproductively. Which is EXACTLY why there are size limits to fishing. You want to protect the young stock in natural areas.
You could make the argument that mortality is high anyways - but taking the juveniles isn't going to help that (you are protecting them till they reach adulthood). And "buying" them from somone else who removes them doesn't mean that they aren't removed from the ecosystem.
Gambusia, not trying to be argumentative and I'm not an expert but trying to inform myself and from what I saw:
In NC the purchase and sale of muskies and all inland game fish is illegal, as is taking juvenile fish or catching an inland game fish iby any other method than hook and line. http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg02_Regs/pg2b1.pdf
So that seems to make keeping them and releasing of them a moot point. And I think this is similar for most states and provinces in NA.
Another thing to consider is when a juvenile is removed it is usually impossible for that fish to be reproductive during it's "captivity" - plus you risk it dying from an accident or stress from moving and reacclimating to its new environment when you release - therefore not allowing that fish to add back into the population reproductively. Which is EXACTLY why there are size limits to fishing. You want to protect the young stock in natural areas.
You could make the argument that mortality is high anyways - but taking the juveniles isn't going to help that (you are protecting them till they reach adulthood). And "buying" them from somone else who removes them doesn't mean that they aren't removed from the ecosystem.
Gambusia, not trying to be argumentative and I'm not an expert but trying to inform myself and from what I saw:
In NC the purchase and sale of muskies and all inland game fish is illegal, as is taking juvenile fish or catching an inland game fish iby any other method than hook and line. http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg02_Regs/pg2b1.pdf
So that seems to make keeping them and releasing of them a moot point. And I think this is similar for most states and provinces in NA.
You can buy and sell captive raised game fish in NC.
I have some trout I got that way.
And yes you cannot sell any gamefish you catch but you can keep any all you legally catch on hook and line.
I do that.
Minimum size for muskellunge is 30" if I were to catch and keep one from the wild in NC.
If I buy one from a hatchery no size limits.
I have some trout I got that way.
And yes you cannot sell any gamefish you catch but you can keep any all you legally catch on hook and line.
I do that.
Minimum size for muskellunge is 30" if I were to catch and keep one from the wild in NC.
If I buy one from a hatchery no size limits.
